But if you can believe some internet chatter over the weekend that the Pelicans are dangling Holiday – who was acquired for two No. 1 draft picks last year – to the Sacramento Kings for the Kings' eighth overall selection in the first round, then it's possible New Orleans could be in the market for a guard.

No matter that the team's two greatest areas of need are small forward and center, the same two positions that were the greatest areas of need a year ago.

Payton to the Pelicans would be a nice, feel-good story, and might even generate some ticket sales for a team that played in front of a lot of empty seats last year. It just doesn't seem, at this point however, that the Pelicans would trade into Thursday's draft and pick a guard.

If Holiday is around next season, and Gordon is not dealt for other assets, Pelicans coach Monty Williams is facing a rotational dilemma: does he put Evans and Holiday in the starting backcourt and ask Gordon to come off the bench as a sixth man?

And should the team find enough cash to make an attractive offer to now-unrestricted free agent Morrow and he comes back, do they need to keep both Roberts (who has an unguaranteed contract for 2014-15) and Rivers and carry six guards once again?

It became clear in the final weeks of the year that Evans was the best guard on the team, had the best court vision, took good care of the ball and was a willing passer.

A guy who arrived last summer as a potential sixth man who could play any of three positions, Evans distinguished himself as arguably the Pelicans' top point guard.

No one can peek into the minds of the Pelicans' basketball operations staff as it prepares for a draft night in which the team has no selections.

If it did, though, you'd have to think that a backcourt player would definitely not be a priority.